TITLE: Back to You

AUTHOR: Dayz Sollers

SUMMARY: Post season 2 finale. As Brooke, Nathan and Jake come back from their summers away from Tree Hill, the group has to face the trials and tribulations of their senior year of high school, and find out what is really important to them. Mostly B/L but it will take a while. Be patient, it will get there. I promise. P/J and N/H also. Feedback wanted! Please R&R

Disclaimer: Don't own One Tree Hill, too bad for me.

Rating: PG13-maybe to an R later on
Category: Romance/Drama

Okay just wanted to say thank you once more to the positive feedback I keep getting on this story! Kelz3192, Laura369, MaddieMadison, Emogeek1, Laura369, Nate and Jake, JLsNaley, Flipperjlw and Rocker87

Karaokediva: Hmm...well I am a total Brucas lover but...just because this will end up to be B&L doesn't mean it will get there right away. I am planing on many friendships to surface in this story. Highschool is basiclly about the love and friendships you make on your adventure to becoming an adult so.. hmm maybe we'll see a Peyton/Nathan/Brooke friendship. who knows :-)

ritagarcia45: yes well everytime Brooke lets her gaurd down about lucas, something tends to backfire. so you were right :-)

CrazyAznChik: I am glad you started to read it! I hope it doesn't dissapoint you. I think Peyton deserves a little bit of happiness. And Nathan loves Haley, regardless of what has happened, so he'll protect her no matter what, even if they're not together...As far as Lucas and Brooke, who doesn't love them right? But this wouldn't be a OTH fanfiction without a little drame :-D

Author's Note: I have an idea for a new story, and am looking for someone to co-write it with me. Basiclly the plot will be letters, emails, calls etc that take place between Lucas and Brooke from the time she leaves till the time school starts. If anyone is interested, you can email me at or leave information on how I can contact you in reviews. Hope you enjoy the next chapter of Back to You :-)

CHAPTER EIGHT- Not My Fault

Four words, and Brooke's world once again came crashing down around her. It was Monday morning, and Brooke had once again been thinking about her last conversation with Lucas. She had confessed her heart to him, and in an instant he had shattered it once again.

/flashback/

Brooke sat impatiently on the bed in front of Lucas, her fingers toying with the end of her skirt. She stared down at her lap, and didn't dare to look up until he was finished. Lucas stooped down in front of her, and took her hand in his.

"When I told you I loved you I meant it Brooke. Nothing's changed."

"You were with someone else Lucas. You confessed that you loved me, that if you got a second chance, you wouldn't let me go….and yet you slept with someone else! Lucas what do you expect me to do here? You just expect me to understand?"

Lucas shook his head, his heart breaking for the pain he was causing her. He had known that Brooke would have been upset. But she had the right to know. If they were going to work at being together they both needed to be honest. He didn't want to start a relationship with her if she didn't know everything.

"I thought I lost you- that you were never coming back. I didn't know you'd come back to me."

He hated seeing her cry. Fresh tears entered her eyes as he reached his hand up and wiped them from her cheek. She pushed his hand away, and stood up.

"It's okay. We weren't together, it's not like you cheated."

Lucas let out a sigh of relief, as he wrapped his arms around her. He went to kiss her, but stopped as she abruptly pulled back.

"It might be okay Lucas but it does change how I feel." She kissed his cheek gently, and continued. "I can't be with you. I hope you understand."

Lucas felt a lump in his throat as he shook his head. He did understand, he had let her down once again. She left him there, alone in the room to think about his life and the decisions he had made. As he sat down on the bed, he once again slipped into thoughts of being alone. His heart was numb once more.

/End flashback/

For what had happened two days before, Brooke was doing quite well. She had been up since 5:00, after a morning jog around tree hill, she had headed back to Karen's house and showered. Brooke had been lucky that Lucas hadn't been home since the party. She guessed he was trying to give her space.

"Hey Tigger, where's Luke?"

As she shut her car door, she pulled her notebook from the backseat and made her way towards Haley. She held her breath, and walked right past. Ignoring her friends question.

"Brooke."

Brooke kept walking making her way from the parking lot to the school building. Haley stood in place, confused of why her friends actions.

"Brooke, hey! Wait up!"

Haley jogged towards her, grabbing her arm to pull her around. Brooke turned around slightly, and shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you Haley! After what happened the last time- how could you know and not tell me?" Brooke looked at her, her eyes fogging up with tears. She pushed them away, and looked towards the school once more. "Whatever."

"What are you talking…"

"Lucas. And another girl."

Haley stood there, her mouth open in shock. Lucas had been with someone else? She was going to kill him.

"You didn't know…" Brooke's voice trailed off embarrassed of her accusation. She looked down at the ground, knowing she had once again put her foot in her mouth. "Tutorgirl- I'm sorry…" Tears once again threatened to fall from her face and she shook her head. "I can't do this."

Haley reached out and rubbed her arm softly. She smiled in support and wrapped her arm around her friends shoulders. Nodding her head, she encouraged her friend to follow her.

"Yes you can. You're Brooke Davis. I know it hurts. All you wanna do is go home and curl up into your bed. But you're stronger than that okay? You have to face this. Face him. One way or another. And I'll be here for you. Whatever you decide."

As they made their way to their lockers, Brooke's eyes darted around the room. The last thing she needed was to see Lucas. He had called her cell phone repeatedly the night before, and she knew he would want to talk to her. To make things work between them. But it was too late. Brooke knew in her heart it was finally time to let go. Braving herself for the day ahead of her, she opened her locker to look into the mirror on the first shelf. She put fresh lip gloss on her lips, and tried to smile. She was going to get through this.

"Hi."

Brooke hesitantly turned around, her smile that had been there just moments ago disappeared. She stared up at the guy who had caused her so many problems and shook her head in disbelief.

"Get lost."

"Brooke- we need to talk. I didn't want things to end the way they had between us. I just wanted to say I was sorry." The guys voice sounded sincere, something she wasn't sure she could quite believe.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to Felix."

She shut the locker and walked away. A few feet ahead she turned around for a moment and sighed. "Welcome back," she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. He stared at her for a moment, wondering to himself what had happened to her since he had been gone. Military school had taught him one thing. If you see something you want- go for it. And don't take no for an answer. He nodded his head. If there was anything he wanted this year was Brooke Davis. And he knew he was going to have her.

Haley made her way into her third period class, one she shared with both Peyton and Lucas with hesitation. She hadn't seen Nathan since the night of the party, and was avoiding him the best she could. She couldn't bring herself to hear his excuses, to tell her it was a mistake, to tell her anything other than the fact that he too had felt that it was amazing.

As she entered the classroom, she noticed the teacher with his back turned to the other students, and Lucas talking to Time. She rolled her eyes, and walked past him ignoring his hello. He looked hurt as she sat next to Peyton, and she could she he had saved the seat next to him for her. Lucas waited for her to say something, and when she didn't he sighed and turned back around.

"What was that about?"

Peyton asked, not once lifting her eyes from her drawing in front of her. She moved the pencil across the paper in delicate strokes, outlining the scene in front of her. Haley looked at the picture, one of a teacher writing something on the blackboard and students not paying attention.

She read the caption and shook her head in agreement. 'Too busy too notice,' it read. Haley wasn't sure if Peyton meant the teacher was too busy to notice, or that the teenagers around him were too busy caught up in their own lives to pay attention to the teacher.

"Lucas. And how stupid my once best friend was. Again!"

Peyton looked up, taken back by Haley's words. She raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation as the bell rung and the teacher turned to face his class. Peyton stuffed the picture into a binder opened the book, signaling to Haley that they would talk later.

"Okay class. Settle down. I'm Mr. Adams, and I'll be taking over this class. Hope everyone had a good summer, but it's time to get back to the real world. Any questions?" Haley looked at her teacher, and noticed he was a lot younger than most of the others in the school.

She watched as a tiny blonde raised her hand up, and he called on her. The girl, who Haley realized was one of the cheerleaders, giggled. "How old are you?" The teacher looked a little flustered as he leaned down against his desk. He smiled slightly and answered her.

"26. Now any more questions that don't have anything to do with me?"

Haley smiled, the teacher seemed to be very nice. He was cute too, Haley realized. As if Peyton was reading her mind she hit her arm. Haley turned to look at her and shrugged. Peyton nodded in agreement and they both turned their attention to the teacher. It was going to be a very nice school year.

As the bell rang once more, the students quickly grabbed their things and hurried out. Peyton and Haley lingered there a few minutes longer as Lucas approached them.

"Hey Hales, are you mad at something?"

Haley rolled her eyes, annoyed by Lucas' behavior. She didn't understand why someone who had loved Brooke so much could continue to do the things he did. Haley had always doubted his feelings for Brooke up until the past summer. She had watched him, his heart breaking from being so far away from her. Was that why he had done it?

For a moment, Haley's eyes softened. She knew he loved Brooke, perhaps he had just been lonely. But even if that was the case, it didn't make it right. He should have waited. He should have given her a chance to come home to him. When those thoughts entered her mind, she realized the real reason she was upset. Once again her thoughts moved back to Nathan.

What if over the summer Nathan had moved on, and been with someone else? Lucas had done it, why wouldn't Nathan. She had been so angry with Lucas because he betrayed his feelings for Brooke by sleeping with someone else that she hadn't realized it was her fear that was getting the best of her.

"Nothing Luke. I'm sorry."

She pushed past him, and walked out of the classroom, ignoring the looks she was getting from both him and Peyton. Lucas turned to Peyton and shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's just you and me. Again." Peyton's smile fell as she saw Brooke standing in the doorway. Brooke watched silently as she stared at her best friend and Lucas.

For a brief moment, she wondered if it had been Peyton that he had been with over the summer. Once again images came into her mind, ones she had tried so desperately to move past. She could picture them, sitting on the beach their arms around each other their bodies moving closer and closer until their lips were touching. Brooke franticly shook her head in frustration, praying that Peyton wouldn't betray her.

She turned around too upset to deal with things, and ran out of the room. As she made her way down the hall, she ignored the stares of her fellow students. She didn't care, she just needed to get away from the two of them. Brooke knew she should have just asked Peyton, but she couldn't bring herself too. What if it had been Peyton that Lucas had been with? She'd never get over it. Not paying attention to where she was going she ran straight into Nathan.

As their bodies crashed against each other, Nathan let out a chuckle. He looked down at her, Brooke hiding her face from his sight. Nathan placed both hands on her shoulders, and pushed her back a few feet.

"I know you've always wanted me Brooke- but here? Now? Not to mention the fact I'm still married to Haley," he teased her but fell quiet when he saw the look on Brooke's face. His smile fell as he saw the tears staining her cheeks. He felt hopeless. Where was Haley when he needed her? "Brooke, hey. It's alright. What's wrong?"

Nathan pulled her to him, his arm rubbing up and down her back trying to soothe her sobbing frame. The bell for fourth period rang, and they both ignored it. Brooke let her guard down, and let him hold her until her sobs calmed. After a few minutes the tears were gone, and she looked up at him.

"Thank you."

He just nodded his head, and shut his locker. Brooke watched as he headed off to his class, and she leaned her back against the lockers. She shut her eyes for a moment, and heard someone approach her.

"Are you okay?"

Brooke opened her eyes, and nodded her head. He held a tissue out for her, and she took it, studying the man in front of her. He was tall, about 6'2, a few inches taller than Lucas. His hair was dark brown, and grown slightly longer than she was use to seeing. Deep brown eyes stared at her, and she could tell they mirrored her own. She smiled for a moment, and realized that she didn't know the man standing in front of her.

"I'm Brooke. Brooke Davis." She reached her hand towards him, and he offered her his. She shook his hand, and waited for him to give her a name. When he said nothing, she smiled. "You do have a name right?"

"I'm Sean Adams. It was nice to meet you Brooke Davis," he smiled slightly and headed off away from her. She stood there for a moment and smiled. The school year had just begun, and she had already found a way to get over Lucas. Or at least try to.

TBC…

Next on Back to You:

Haley and Peyton talk about Nathan

Nathan covers for Brooke when she's caught doing something bad

Lucas meets a new girl

- More Brucas don't worry :-)